6 Simple Ways To Protect Your Hearing That You Can't Afford To Skip

We all experience various levels of noise every day—from the sound of traffic to the hair dryer you use every morning. Most people don't take the necessary precautions to protect their ears, and this is why more than half of people in their 50s have experienced some sort of hearing loss. But it's not just loud noises that can cause this problem—it can come from other unexpected sources, like earwax buildup and allergies. (Get A Free Trial of Prevention + 12 Free Gifts.)

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Here are some easy ways to protect your ears and prevent hearing loss from happening.

Beware of everyday noise. The rule of thumb for loud noises is that they shouldn't exceed 85 decibels (you can compare that to the same noise level as busy city traffic). Hair dryers, blenders, coffee grinders, lawn mowers, and iPods all can individually exceed this limit daily and damage your hearing.Prevent it: When drying your hair, use the lowest setting and wear earplugs. For your blenders and grinders, cover the base with a kitchen towel to muffle the noise. When mowing the lawn, wear foam inserts or earmuffs. When listening to your iPod, maintain a low volume, try to limit your use to an hour a day, and use either noise-cancelling or sound-isolating earbuds.

Unintended exposure to loud noises can be just as damaging as everyday noises, according to Andrew Cheng, MD, an otolaryngologist at Lenox Hill Hospital and Manhattan Eye Ear & Throat Hospital, New York Medical College. Concerts, fireworks, and sporting events are especially damaging because most people don't prepare for them. "When a person experiences overwhelming noise....her body will experience discomfort with the loud sound; and when a person notices ringing and fuzziness of hearing, these are due to possible damage to the hearing nerve," he says.Prevent it: Cheng recommends bringing earplugs when going to an event that you know will be noisy, such as a crowded parade or a concert.

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Watch for these health problems that put your hearing at risk.

People with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or other chronic conditions have a higher risk of suffering from hearing loss.Prevent it: "Individuals need to control their conditions meticulously to prevent damage," says Robert Sataloff, MD, professor and chairman of the department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. As far as diabetes, controlling one's blood pressure and keeping up with regular insulin and diabetes medication will help maintain your ears' functions. (That's not all; check out these 7 scary things that can happen when you don't control your diabetes.)

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Don't overlook earwax. This might seem like a trivial problem, but earwax buildup can clog your ears and cause you to temporarily lose hearing, especially because it's being packed down every time you try to clean your ears out with a Q-tip (seriously, enough with the Q-tips; here's how you should be cleaning your ears).Prevent it: There's no need to ever clean your ears with a Q-tip, says Sataloff. Your ears naturally shed from the inside out, and are cleared when you shower. If you do already have buildup, though, have your physician remove it.

Blocked sinuses caused by colds and allergies can cause temporary hearing loss when the tube in your ear that regulates pressure swells shut.Prevent it: See your physician to get the proper medication to control your allergies in order to keep your middle-ear area from collecting fluids.

Whatever you do, don't ignore the problem. "One of the most common tragic and preventable problems we see is patients who have noticed a hearing loss getting gradually worse through the years without seeking help," says Sataloff.Prevent it: As soon as you hear ringing in your ears, go see your physician. "Ringing may be the first sign of a more serious problem, such as a tumor."

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